The cast of Chicago Med has spoken out following the ongoing writers' and actors' strike. As Hollywood comes to a standstill, cast members Steven Weber, S. Epatha Merkerson and Jessy Schram each addressed the future of the hit medical drama by confirming that they have all joined the strike. As a result of their solidarity, it is expected that Chicago Med, like many other projects, will be put on hold.
Revealing that he is in favor of the strike, Steven Weber – aka Dr Dean Archer – penned a heartfelt caption on Instagram. "I have acted alongside background artists (formerly referred to as "extras") for the 40 years I have been fortunate enough to work as an actor (and been a background artist myself)," he began.
"It can be fun and engaging but it is mostly a challenging job requiring extreme patience and skill. Background artists are essential to television and film production. It is truly incomprehensible that 'management' is putting every human element it can find in the crosshairs in order to maximize profit. It's cruel, stupid and a bad business model, except if your business is a goddamn pyramid scheme.
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"And guess what: this will not be confined to the entertainment industry. AI should be used for scientific purposes, to explore space, to figure out how to deal with pollution, to cure cancer, whatever. Not to take away people's livelihoods."
Meanwhile, S. Epatha Merkerson responded to the strike by simply sharing a photo that said 'SAG-AFTRA Strong'.
As for Jessy Schram, who stars as Dr Hannah Asher, the actress has headed straight to the picket lines to support the strikes. Sharing several photos from the protest on Instagram, she wrote: "Making Hollywood honk. Day 1 of @sagaftra strikes. Joining the #WGA on their day 74.
"Parrots on the picket. Running into friends, costars and writers from now and way back when. We don't want to be striking - but absolutely have to. I've been a SAG member since 1997. I've always felt the protection of my union and feel lucky and proud that it continues to fight to protect me and 159,000+ entertainers, to continue making chasing dreams and making a living- safely, financially and respectfully - in this world we call show business."
Prior to the writers' and actors' strikes, Chicago Med had been renewed for a ninth season, with NBC initially suggesting that the show could return as part of the 2023-2024 broadcast fall season lineup. Currently, the release date for season nine remains unknown.